1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating cured silicone rubber articles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for fabricating extruded articles such as filaments and films by discharging a curable liquid silicone rubber composition into water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, moldings have been produced by preparing a liquid curable silicone rubber composition from its constituent ingredients at ambient or higher temperatures, and then introducing said composition into a metal mold and curing at temperatures of at least 120 degrees C. as described in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 57-149354 [149,354/82] and Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-17428 [17,428/85]), or by extruding the curable composition into an atmosphere heated to a temperature of from 200 to 400 degrees C. to achieve curing.
Several problems arise in the aforesaid prior molding methods as a consequence of a fabricating process in which the liquid silicone rubber composition is prepared at room or higher temperatures and the liquid silicone rubber composition is then cured at elevated temperatures in a metal mold or in a heated atmosphere. Some of these problems are inherent in the fabrication process itself. For example, the liquid silicone rubber composition expands during curing, and the obtained molding is then difficult to release from the mold; also, when the liquid silicone rubber composition contacts the interior surface of the heated mold, it undergoes a temporary decrease in viscosity, which often results in the generation of defects in the molded article. Furthermore, bubbles are readily generated in the interior of the produced molding, and in particular it is quite difficult to produce thin moldings or delicate fibrous moldings.
One objective of the present invention is to provide a method for extruding liquid silicone rubber compositions to obtain films and thin or delicate fibrous articles exhibiting low shrinkage ratios and insignificant bubble generation.